Biography

Ann Hood

Born

Current Home

Ann Hood is the author of eight novels and a short-story collection. Her essays and short stories have appeared in such periodicals as Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, and TheParis Review. Ann has won a Best American Spiritual Writing Award, the Paul Bowles Prize for Short Fiction, and two Pushcart Prizes. In 2008, she has published her first young adult novel, How I Saved My Father's Life (And Ruined Everything Else).

How I Saved My Father's Life (And Ruined Everything Else) started out as a short story," says Ann. "I had the idea of a girl who believes she can perform miracles and, at a time of powerlessness in her life (her parents' divorce), this belief gives her what she is looking for. The more I wrote, the more I loved Madeline and even her parents and brother. I am a step mother, so how children deal with divorce is something I've witnessed first hand and thought about a lot. But it was really Madeline's personality that made me keep writing her story"

"When I was finished, I sent it to my agent and she called to tell me that she loved my young adult novel," continues Ann. "I didn't set out to write a young adult story, but as soon as she said that, I knew she was right." One of her former graduate students, Francesco Sedita, was currently employed in Scholastic Inc.'s book group division. "Francesco had been one of my favorite students when I taught at NYU, and he was always wonderful about keeping in touch," says Ann. "His move to Scholastic and Madeline's completion were one of those perfect moments that happen rarely in life."

"I ran into Ann's agent." says Francesco, "I asked when Ann was going to write young adult fiction, and suddenly I had this amazing manuscript in my hands!"

Ann Hood was born in West Warwick, Rhode Island. She grew up with stories of her father's travels around the world during his 20 years in the Navy. These stories inspired her to become a flight attendant for TWA after receiving her Bachelors degree in English from the University of Rhode Island. She lived in Boston and St. Louis before moving to New York City, where she attended graduate school at New York University, earning a degree in American Literature.

During a furlough from TWA, she worked at the Spring Street Bookstore in Soho and slung ribs at Tony Roma's while writing her first novel, Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine. Back to work on international flights, she often wrote on the long subway ride to JFK and in the galleys of 747s while the passengers slept.

When TWA went on strike and the flight attendants were all "replaced", Ann found herself suddenly a full time writer. Soon, she was publishing essays and short stories in The Washington Post, Mademoiselle, Redbook, Story, and many other magazines. At various times over the years, she has had regular columns in Self, Glamour, New Woman, and Parenting.

Ann Hood lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband and two children, Sam and Annabelle, and their dog, Zuzu. For more information, please visit http://www.annhood.us/